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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Barbara Kotschwar (Peterson Institute for International Economics) |
| Abstract: | In Latin America, inadequate transportation infrastructure has been identified as an increasingly important impediment to the region's further integration in global trade and a significant factor preventing countries from properly taking advantage of the multitude of regional, plurilateral, and bilateral trade agreements signed in the past decade and a half. This paper examines transport and communications infrastructure initiatives in Latin American and Asian regional trade arrangements and finds several lessons Asia can teach Latin America. |
| Keywords: | trade, infrastructure, regional trade agreements (RTAs), transport costs, transport infrastructure, cooperation, East Asia, Latin America |
| JEL: | F10 F15 R11 R42 R58 |
| Date: | 2012–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iie:wpaper:wp12-6&r=tre |
| By: | Irina Tochitskaya |
| Abstract: | The report evaluates progress achieved in implementation of structural reforms of the transport sector in Azerbaijan in the following subsectors: railways, road transport and roads, air transport and airports, maritime transport and ports. It presents standardized and qualitative indicators that assess the level of the transport sector reforms in three areas: 1) commercialization and privatization, 2) tariff policy, and 3) institutional and regulatory changes. The aggregated index is calculated on the basis of the 21 indicators that reflects the status of the reforms in each sector at a period under review. |
| Keywords: | Transportation analysis, Transition economies, Reform |
| JEL: | L91 L92 L93 R4 O18 P21 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sec:cnrepo:0107&r=tre |
| By: | Deutsch, Kathleen E; Goulias, Konstadinos G. |
| Abstract: | With the increased application of the activity based approach comes the inherent need to incorporate more detail regarding behavior. This need for detail has in turn created a need for both a deeper understanding and theoretical basis for behavior, and the incorporation of data collection and analysis methods to handle more behavioral detail. Because of this, the use of qualitative and mixed method approaches in travel behavior has received increased attention over the last few decades. In this paper, quantitative and qualitative methodologies are discussed and applied to data collected in Santa Barbara, California, measuring peoples’ attitudes about places (sense of place). Both quantitative and qualitative methods are applied using first a factor analysis and complementing this with a qualitative analysis of text from an open-ended question. The findings of these analyses are compared and incorporated to contribute to a greater understanding of both sense of place and behavior. Theoretical developments and implications for future research are discussed in light of analysis findings. |
| Keywords: | Urban Studies and Planning |
| Date: | 2011–09–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:uctcwp:qt6rp929vj&r=tre |
| By: | Iimi, Atsushi; Benamghar, Radia |
| Abstract: | Procurement packaging has important effects on not only the bidders'bidding behavior, but also contractors'performance. By changing the size of public contracts, procurers can encourage (or discourage) market competition and improve contract performance, avoiding unnecessary cost overruns and project delays. In practice, there is no single solution about how to package public contracts. With procurement data from road projects in Nepal, this paper examines the optimal size of road contracts in rural areas. The optimum varies depending on policy objectives. To maximize the bidder participation, the length of road should be about 11 kilometers. To minimize cost overruns and delays, the contracts should be much larger at 17 and 21 kilometers, respectively. Compared with the current procurement practices, the findings suggest that procurers take more advantage of enlarging road packages, although contracts that are too large may increase the risk of discouraging firms from participating in public tenders. |
| Keywords: | Government Procurement,Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Debt Markets,Post Conflict Reconstruction,Contract Law |
| Date: | 2012–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6028&r=tre |
| By: | Raihan, Selim |
| Abstract: | This paper has explored the relationship between infrastructure and growth and poverty in the context of the Bangladesh economy and in this context the paper has used three different techniques. The general conclusion is that infrastructure plays extremely significant role in promoting growth and alleviating poverty in Bangladesh. The construction of the district-wise Infrastructure Development Index (IDI) and ranking of the districts on IDI suggest that the districts which are close to the capital city are having higher IDIs than the districts which are far from the capital city. The cross-section regression results suggest that the district-wise variation in head-count poverty is well explained by the variation in the IDI and the district with higher IDIs are associated with lower head-count poverty. The SAM multiplier model indicates significant rise in gross output, household consumption and value-addition because investment in physical and social infrastructure. A 20 percent increase in infrastructural investment demand would lead to 8.17 percent rise in gross output, 8.07 percent rise in value-added or gross domestic product, and 7.12 percent rise in household consumption. The exercise using the CGE model suggests that 25 percent reduction in the transport margin in the sectors would lead to rise in the real GDP by 0.57 percent, fall in the general price index by 1.43 percent, rise in exports and imports by 0.83 and 0.95 percent, and rise in national welfare by 0.39 percent. Also, the national head-count poverty would fall by 1.24 percent. The poorer household groups are likely to experience higher reduction in poverty indices compared to their non-poor |
| Keywords: | Infrastructure; Growth; Poverty; Bangladesh; CGE |
| JEL: | C68 C02 C01 |
| Date: | 2011–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:37882&r=tre |
| By: | Iimi, Atsushi; Benamghar, Radia |
| Abstract: | The world's climate is changing. It is well recognized that technical standards and project specifications of public infrastructure have to be adjusted, depending on the climate. However, it is less recognized that the public infrastructure procurement also needs to be adjusted. This paper examines a particular case of rural road procurement in Nepal. Severe weather conditions, such as heavy rains and storms, are likely to interrupt civil works and wash away unpaved or gravel roads. It is found that heavy precipitation causes delays, but not cost overruns. The paper also shows that budgetary efficiency and credibility could be improved by taking climate conditions into account. If future precipitation were anticipated by backward-looking expectations, many large project delays could be avoided. If the autoregressive precipitation model were used, the vast majority of the observed delays could be eliminated. |
| Keywords: | Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Roads&Highways,Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases,Global Environment Facility,Rural Roads&Transport |
| Date: | 2012–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6029&r=tre |
| By: | Sepp, Jüri |
| Abstract: | Unterschiedliche Wirtschaftssektoren brauchen wegen ihren technologischen Beson-derheiten und volkswirtschaftlichen Rolle unterschiedliche Spielregeln. Insbesondere gilt es für Infrastrukturbereiche wie Energetik, Transport, Telekommunikation, Kommunalversorgung, aber auch Post. Hier sind in den letzten Jahrzehnten so grosse Änderungen teilweise schon passiert, teilweise erst im Gange, dass wir über fundamentale institutionelle Innovationen sprechen können. In diesem Aufsatz werden wir die Suche nach neuen Spielregeln in einem von vielen Infrastruktursektoren, nämlich im Postbereich, ansehen. Dabei werden wir nicht nur die Rolle der unterschiedlichen Institutionen in der Postwirtschaft untersuchen, sondern auch die Rolle der unterschiedlichen Regulierungsebenen. Nämlich hängt der Endergebnis sowohl von der EU - als auch von der nationalen Politik der Mitgliedstaaten ab. In diesem Aufsatz werden insbesondere die Rahmenbedingungen der Postwirtschaft und deren Entwicklung in Estland dargestellt und bewertet. Methodologisch bleiben wir im Rahmen der normativen Regulierungstheorie. Die Ziel ist, sowohl mögliche Schwachstellen der Reformen als auch zur Verfügung stehende Änderungsansätze aufzuzeigen. -- |
| Keywords: | Institutionenökonomie,Innovationssysteme,Infrastruktur,Post Estland |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:opodis:201103&r=tre |
| By: | Philippe Gagnepain (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - CNRS : UMR8174 - Université Paris I - Panthéon Sorbonne, EEP-PSE - Ecole d'Économie de Paris - Paris School of Economics - Ecole d'Économie de Paris); Marc Ivaldi (TSE - Toulouse School of Economics - Toulouse School of Economics); Catherine Vibes (TSE - Toulouse School of Economics - Toulouse School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | This article is aimed at deepening our understanding of the functioning of competition in the local bus transportation industry and to evaluate its effectiveness. It provides an overview of the competitive constraints that are at work in the industry as discussed in the economic literature, and sketches empirical tests to check whether the intuitions provided by the economists are in line with the reality of the industry. |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:cesptp:hal-00684161&r=tre |